Hold On To Me Forever
by MyNameIsCrazy
Summary: Shoji and Iroh hated each other. Until he saved her from drowning and their heartbeats were in sync. Since then, their opinions of each other were drastically changed. Kinda like Pride and Prejudice. And kinda not. :)))


I sat in the General's cabin and stared out the window. Who would've ever thought a girl would be one of the leading generals in the United Forces. Definitely not me.

Which is why I'm here with my father, the real general. But I am, though, his First Lieutenant, which is not uncommon.

The phone rang and I leapt up to answer it. I crossed the room in a hurry and fumbled to pick up the reciever. I was hoping it was my father and was excited when I heard his voice on the other end.

"Hello?"

"Spark! Report to the bridge. Your briliance is needed, sweetheart," my dad said over the phone. I smiled. My brilliance. I was truly the brains behind this fleet.

"Okay, Daddy!" I replied excitedly, slamming the reciever down and sprinted out of the room. My heavy footfalls thudded on the metal floors, and men stepped out of the way as I passed. They all grumbled angrily, and some just laughed, as they knew my habits and personality.

I burst into the bridge where the colonel, sergeant, and my dad were conversing battle strategies.

"There you are Shoji, just in time," Colonel Han said, smiling at me. He was a water bender and very handsome. My father wanted me to marry him, but neither of us liked each other in a romantic way. And plus, I was determined never to fall in love. At least, not right now. Maybe some day along the road, but definitely not with a military commander.

"Hello," I said politely, though I wanted to throw the sergeant over the side of the boat. I looked out the window at the fog and bit my lip. An entire group of Equalists could be hiding in that fog.

A strange whirring was whining in my ears, quietly, and increasingly getting louder. It was getting annoyingly close and I wanted to looo, but didn't want to be rude and disrupt their conversation.

But it was my dad who disrupted the strategy talk. "What's that?" my father exclaimed, running out of the bridge onto the deck, over to the railing and pointing up into the skies. Over head, flying machines were whirring around, shooting down at the ships around us. I pulled my father back in and tried to take down some of the machines with my lightning. From another ship, General Iroh's ship, flames spouted up into the sky.

'SHow off,' I grumbled. I was NOT the biggest fan of the pompous, stuck up, rude jerk that was General Iroh. I had heard of his predecessor whose name he inhereted and was shocked by the complete opposite man he was. The first General Iroh was a kind soul who was wonderful in battle.

The second Iroh was an awful person. Have I really met the guy before, you ask? Nope. I had no interest in making his aquaintences. But he was so drop-dead gorgeous.

"Shoji!" my father called. I looked over to him and he pointed up to the machine that was swooping low. I knew exaclty what he meant. He meant for me to jump onto the machine and take it out. I nodded and propelled myself up with my bending, landing on the wing.

And guess who else was there.

"Haven't I met you before?" General Iroh called over the howl of the wind and whir of the engines.

"I doubt it. This is not a good time to be making new friends, either!" I shouted back, aggrivated that he had the nerve to mock being polite to me.

I shot the engines with lightning and the machine exploded, sending he and I flying into the water. As soon as I entered the water, my head got foggy and my eyes began to blacken. I felt the tendrils of sleep pulling me closer and tighter into itself and then...

Strong arms... Strong, firm, safe arms were pulling me up again. Up towards air, up towards the surface. As I broke the water, I coughed and spluttered and opened my eyes. And I wished I had drowned.

I woke up in Iroh's arms. "Get off me!" I spat, splashing my way free of him. I pushed away from him, but my hand had collided with a spot on his chest that sent the nerves up my arms tingling. I had pushed his chest right over his heartbeat. I gasped and my eyes grew wide. His heartbeat was right in time with mine.

* * *

She looked as terrified as I felt. She was a stuck-up, spoiled little Daddy's girl who got whatever she wanted. People said she was a wonderful person, but what I had heard and seen of her, she was awful. But she was stunningly beautiful.

I looked at her as she splashed her way away from me and let her go. Her heartbeat, I could hear under water, was the same rate as mine. Racing, nervous, and tentative. I guessed she was just as nervous around me as I was around her.

I looked away, blushing and muttered my apologies before swimming back to my ship. I didn't stop to hear her thank you's. I reached the ladder that hoisted me back up onto the ship and a towel was draped over my shoulders. I shrugged it off and steam-dried my clothes, looking at the girl whose life I saved.

I couldn't stop thinking about her the entire battle, and when the Avatar saved my life, I had wished it was Shoji instead. I know I just met her, but I was so determined to get to know her better, that it dominated all my better judgement.

And when her ship was blown up, I wanted to be there with her, holding her when the sparks flew.

* * *

I was bobbing in the wreckage, screaming his name, tears streaming down my cheeks, dripping into the lagoon. I swam to someone approaching me and saw that it was my father.

"Shoji!" he called. I swam faster and my father caught me in his arms, and held me as I wept.


End file.
